Tone-expression-controlling device for mechanical musical instruments.



No. 797182. X PATE T T' DANQUARD. N En AUG 15,1905

TONE EXPRESSION CCNTRCLLING DEVICE POR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIOATIQN FILED MAR.a,19o5.

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/0 ,iM/@ Q 33 l -f 323 Q G9 2 lll/11111111111( /ll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

THOMAS DANQUARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTO- PIANO COMPANY, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEr YORK.

TONE-EXPRESSION-CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

vSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed March 3I 1905. Serial No.. 248.243.

T all 11777/0711, t v1.0.7/ concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS DANQUARD, a

ments, of which the following' is a specification.

This invention relates to devices of that class used for controlling or regulating toneexpression in a mechanical musical instrument, such as a self-playing piano or an automatic piano-player, while providing for cutting out the pneumatic-action devices to silence the sound-producing devices during rewinding of a perforated music-sheet ordinarily used to control the mechanical playing.

The invention will iirst be described and then will be particularly defined in claims hereinafter set forth.

Reference -is made to the accompanying' drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a partly-sectional front elevation of portions of a self-playing piano in which the one valve of the tone-expressionrcgulator pneumatic suffices to assure loud and soft tone effects and also to cutout the sound-producing' devices during rewinding of the music-sheet, said regulator-pneumatic being adjusted for ordinary loud playing'. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the piano with its top part broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the tone-eXpression-controlling devices with parts in horizontal section on the line a c. in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section with the regulator-pneumatic adjusted for soft playing. Fig. 5 is a detail partly-broken sectional view of the tone-controlling devices as adjusted to close the regulator-pneumatic valve and cut out the sound-producing devices during rewinding of the music-sheet. Fig'. 6 is a detail plan view of the regulator and actuator pneumatics and a cranked rod adapted for closing the regulator-valve. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail section through the controller-valves, taken on the line I) Z) in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a like vertical section, but with the valves yadjusted as in Fig. 4 to assure soft playing; and Fig. 9

is a sectional view with the regulator-pneumatic adjusted as 1n Flg. l tor ordmary loud playing, but with a second or sliding valve arranged to cut out the sound-producing de-l vices duringl rewinding of the music-sheet.

ln Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings the numeral 1 indicates an action-chest which su pports valved pneumatics 2 having abstracts 3 striking wippens 4of apiano-action to throw the hammers 5 to the strings 6 as controlled by a traveling music-sheet 7 in usual or any approved manner. The action-chest 1 connects with an air-trunk 8, from which a passage 9 leads to the interior of an expressionregulatorpneumatic 10, herein termed a regulator and shown in the form of a bellows adapted to open and close on its end hinge 11. The regulator 10 also connects by a port 12 wit-h the main wind-chest 13, which communicates with the usual air-reservoir 14, connecting with bellows-pumps 15, shown operative by pedals 16, adapted t0 fold within the piano-case. In or at the movable wall of the regulator 1() is placed a valve 17, adapted to open and close the regulator-port 12; but any suitable valve operated by collapse and iniation of the regulator may be used for this purpose. A spring 18 tends to normally1 open the regulator. A pneumatic actuator complementary to the regulator 1() is preferably made as an auxiliary bellows 20, having its movable wall formed integrally with the movable wall of the regulator and rocking upon the same hinge 11, so that the regulator 10 will open as the actuator 20 closes, and vice versa. As shown, the actuator 2() has no direct air-current connection with the regulator 10, but communicates by an air-passage 2l with a chamber 22 in a valve-box 23, having another chamber 24 opening by a port 25 into the chamber 22, from which a port 26 opens to the atmosphere. A diaphragm 27 at the chamber 24 is adapted to operate puppet-valves 28 29 on a stem 30, so as to control the ports 26 25. The space 31 below the diaphragm 27 communicates with a tube 32, leadingl to the atmosphere and carrying a valve of any kind which may open and close the tube. This valve may be a pushbutton 33, located at the front of the pianokeyboard 34 and normally held open by a spiral spring. A bleed-hole 35 facilitates normal adjustment of the diaphragm and thepuppet-valves and connects the space 31 with a passage 36, connecting the valve-box charnber 24 with the wind-chest 13.

' the port 25.

Any suitable mechanical means may be used to forcibly collapse the regulator 10 to wholly close the port 12 by the regulator-valve 17 to cut out the action-chest 1 and the sound-producing devices to silence the latter during rewinding of the music-sheet 7. There is shown for this purpose a cranked rod 37, suitably journaled and carrying a roller 38, adapted to bear transversely on the back of the regulator 10 or its valve 17. One bent end of" the rod 37 is coupled by a rod 39 with a pendent arm on a rocking shaft 40, fulcrumed to the pianokey table 41 and having an upturned end 42 serving as a reroll-stop.

In the operation of the tone-expression-controlling idevices as thus far described the valve 33 is normally held open by its spring, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7 of the drawings, and air enters the tube 32 and chamber 31 and presses the diaphragm 27, thereby7 lifting the valve-stem 30 and causing the valve 28 to close the port 26, leading to the atmosphere, and simultaneously moves the valve 29 to open This valve adjustment connects the actuator 20, via the passage 21, valve-box ,chamber 24, passage 36, and wind-chest 13,

with the main wind-inducing devices, thereby bringing' said actuator 2() under inuence of the air-exhaust while the regulator 10 is also under influence of the exhausting air-current moving from the action-chest 1 through the trunk 8, passage 9, and thence through the regulator 10 to the port 12 and wind-chest 13. As the regulator 10 and actuator 20 are thus both exhausted, the tension in one about balances the tension in the other, and the spring 18 therefore acts freely to hold the regulator 10 open, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, to that full extent permitting very free passage of air from' the action-chest 1 through the regulator 10 to assure ordinary loud playing of the pneumatically-actuated sound-producing devices.

Should softer tones be desired, the performer presses upon and closes the valve 33, which allows gravity and the air-exhaust to operate the puppet-valves to cause the valve 29 to close the port 25, while the valve 28 is moved to open the port 26. This admits atmospheric air to the valve-box chamber 22, and thence via the passage 21 to the actuator 2O to open it and partially collapse the regulator 10 to nearly close the port 12 by the valve 17, as permitted by the resistance of the regulator-spring 18 and as will be understood by inspection of Figs. 4 and 8 of the drawings. This movement of the regulator 10 by the actuator 2O is aided or supplemented by the air-exhaust through the regulator via the passage 9 and port 12. This exhaust through the regulator 10 varies in volume more or less as controlled by the constantlyvarying number of striking-pneumatics 2 in operation, and consequently said regulator 1() While under exhaust influence will automatically open or close more or less than is shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings to proportionately control or regulate the air-current to the main wind -inducing devices for maintaining the desired soft-tone expression irrespective of the number of sound-producing devices which may be operated at any one time during production of the music. These soft tones will continue so long as the valve 33 is held closed by the performer. Vhen this valve is released and is opened by its spring` the firstdescribed normal operative conditions will prevail and the regulator 10 will again be held quite fully open by its spring 18 for resuming ordinary loud playing.

XVhen the music-sheet 7 is to be rewound upon its delivery-roll, the reroll-stop 42 will be moved to the left hand to rock the cranked rod 37 and cause its roller 38 to press upon and fully collapse the regulator 10, and thereby close the port 12 by the regulator-valve 17, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and thus cut 01T the action-chest 1 from the windinducing devices to silence the sound-producing devices during rewinding of the musicsheet.

Instead of using the cranked rod 37 and its roller 38 acting directly to collapse the regulator 10, and thus close its valve 17 for cutting out the sound-producing devices, a separate or second valve may be used-such, for instance, as a slide-valve 43-adapted to close the port 12 and having its stem connected with a rocking lever 44, coupled to the shaft 40 of the reroll-stop 42, as shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings. As the stop 42 is moved to the left hand the valve 44 will close the port 12. This slide-valve 44 is an easily-operated and eficient device for this purpose.

Various modifications of this invention may be made by the skilled mechanic within the scope of the appended claims-as, for instance, the pneumatic regulator and the pneumatic actuator may be variously formed and arranged and the system of air-passages and valves controlling operation of the pneumatic regulator by the pneumatic actuator may be widely varied and other modifications may be made without sacrificing the essential structural and operative features of the invention.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with wind-inducing devices and communicating sound-producing devices, of tone-expression-controlling devices comprising a pneumatic regulator interposed in and controlling the air-passage between the windinducing devices and the sound-producing devices, a pneumatic actuator operative by atmospheric pressure and by the wind-inducing devices and adapted to operate the regulator, and means adapted to connect the actuator with the wind-inducing devices to assure loudtone effects or with the atmosphere to assure soft-tone effects.

2. In a mechanicalmusical instrument, the combination with wind-inducing devices and communicating sound-producing devices, ot' tone-eXpression-controlling devices comprising a pneumatic regulator interposed in and controlling the air-passage between the windinducing devices and the sound-producing' devices, a pneumatic actuator operative by atmospheric pressure and by the wind-inducing` devices and adapted to operate the reg'ulator, and a system of passages and valves adapted to connect the actuator with the wind-inducing devices to assure loud-tone effects or with the atmosphere to assure soft-tone effects.

3. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with exhaust wind-inducing devices and communicating sound-producing devices, of tone-eXpression-controlling devices comprising a pneumatic regulator interposed in and controlling the air-passage between the wind-inducing devices and the sound-producing devices, a pneumatic actuator operative by atmospheric pressure and by the wind-inducing devices and adapted to operate the regulator, and means adapted to connect the actuator with the wind-inducing' devices to assure loud-tone effects or with the atmosphere to assure soft-tone effects.

4. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with wind-inducing devices and communicating sound-producing devices, of tone-eXpression-controlling devices comprising a pneumatic regulator interposed in and controlling the air-passage between the windinducing devices and the sound-producing devices, a pneumatic actuator operative by atmospheric pressure and by the wind-inducing' devices and adapted to operate the regulator, and means adapted to connect the actuator with the wind-inducing devices to assure loudtone effects or with the atmosphere to assure soft-tone effects; said regulator and actuator being' relatively arranged to cause either of them to be operated directly from the other.

5. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with wind-inducing' devices Vand communicating sound-producing devices, otl tone-expression-controlling devices comprising'a pneumatic regulator interposed in and controlling the airpassage between the windinducing devices and the sound-producing devices, means such as a spring normally eX- panding the regulator to open said air-passage, a pneumatic actuator operative by atmospheric pressure and by the wind-inducing devices and adapted to operate the regulator, and means adapted to connect the actuator either with the wind-inducing devices or with the atmosphere, whereby when the actuator is connected with the wind-inducing devices the regulator will assure loud-tone etfects and when -the actuator is connected with the atmosphere the regulator will be more or less collapsed against the influence of its expanding means to produce soft efects.

6. Tone-eXpression-control]ing devices for mechanical musical instruments, comprising a pneumatic regulator controlling the windway between the wind-inducing' devices and the sound-producing' devices and adapted to produce loud-tone effects, and a pneumatic actuator operating the regulator independently of the wind-inducing' devices to produce softtone effects; said regulator and actuator having' integral movable walls hinged at the same center of motion.

7. Tone-expression-controlling devices for mechanical musical instruments, comprising' a pneumatic regulator controlling the windway between the wind-inducing devices and the sound-producing devices, a pneumatic actuator adapted to operate the regulator, means such as a spring normally expanding the regulator to produce loud-tone effects, and means adapted to connect the actuator to the atmosphere for operating the regulator independently of the wind -inducing devices to produce soft-tone effects and adapted also to connect the actuator to the wind-inducing devices to permit expansion of the regulator to produce loud-tone effects; said regulator and actuator having integral movable walls hinged at the same center of motion.

S. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with pneumatic sound-producing' devices and communicating' wind-inducing devices, and a music-sheet coutrollingthe soundproducing devices, ot' a pneumatic regulator interposed in the windway and having' one valve controlling both loud and soft playing and also adapted to silence the sound-producing devices during rewinding of the musicsheet, a pneumatic actuator operating the regulator independently of the wind-inducing devices to produce soft-tone eifects and permitting normal operation of the regulator to assure loud-tone effects, and means operating' the regulator to close its valve to silence the sound-producing devices during rewinding' of the music-sheet.

9. In a mechanical musical instrument, thc combination with pneumatic sound-producing devices and communicating wind-inducing devices, anda music-sheet controlling the soundproducing devices, of a pneumatic regulator having' one valve controlling' the windway between the sound-producing devices and the wind-inducing devices, means such as a spring normally expanding the regulator to assure loud-tone effects, a pneumatic actuator opcrating' the regulator independently of the wind-inducing devices, means adapted to connect the actuator to the atmosphere for operating the regulator to produce soft-tone effects and adapted also to connect the actuator to the wind-inducingdevices to permit eXpansion of the regulator to produce loud-tone effects, and means operating the regulator to close its valve and silence the sound-producing' devices d uring rewinding of the music-sheet.

10. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with pneumatic sound-producing devices and communicating wind-inducing devices, and a music-sheetcontrolling the soundproducing devices, of tone expression -controlling devices comprising a pneumatic regulator interposed in and controlling the airpassage between the Wind-inducing devices and the sound-producing devices, a pneumatic actuator for the regulator, means adapted to connect the actuator either With the Wind-inducing devices or with the atmosphere, means adapted to mechanically operate the regulator to close the air-passage between the Wind-inducing devices and the sound-producing devices, a music-sheet-reroll stop, and connections from said stop to the means mechanically operating the regulator, whereby the regulator may assure both loud and soft tone et'- fects and When operated mechanically will silence the sound-producing devices during re- Winding of the music-sheet.

11. The combination in toneexpressioncontrolling devices and with sound-producing devices and communicating Wind-inducing devices, of a pneumatic regulator 10, and a complementary pneumatic actuator 20, passages such as 8, 9, connecting the sound-producing devices with said regulator, a port 12 connecting the regulator with the wind-inducing devices, a valve 17 on the movable Wall of the regulator adapted to close the port 12, and a system of passages and valves adapted to connect the actuator with either the Wind-inducing devices or with the atmosphere to assure loud or soft tone effects.

12. The combination in toneexpressioncontrolling devices and With sound-producing devices and communicating Wind-inducing devices, of a pneumatic regulator 10, and a complementary pneumatic actuator 20, means such as a spring 18 normally tending' to open the regulator, passages such as A8, 9, connecting the sound-producing devices with said regulatoi', a port 12 connecting the regulator with the wind-inducing devices', a valve 17 on the movable wall of the regulator adapted to close the port 12, and a system ot' passages and valves adapted to connect the actuator with either the Wind-inducing devices or With the atmosphere to assure loud or soft tone effects.

13. The combination in toneexpressioncontrolling devices and with sound-producing devices and communicating wind-inducing devices, of a pneumatic regulator 10, and a complementary pneumatic actuator 20, passages such as 8, 9, connecting the sound-producing devices With said regulator, a port 12 connecting the regulator with the wind-inducing devices, a valve 17 on the movable Wall ot' the regulator adapted to close said port 12, and a system of passages and valves including a valve-box 23 having chambers 22, 2-1, 31, ports 25, 26, valves 28, 29 controlling the ports 26, 25, a diaphragm 27 operating. the valves 28, 29, a passage 32 leading from the cham ber 31 to the atmosphere, a normally open valve adapted to close the passage 32, and a passage 36 connecting the chamber 24 with the Windinducing devices.

141. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with Wind-inducing devices and communicating sound-producing devices, and a music-sheet controlling the sound-producing devices, of a pneumatic regulator 10, and a complementary actuator 20, a port 12 connecting the regulator with the Wind-inducing devices, avalve 17 on the movable wall of the regulator adapted to close said port 12, a system of passages and valves adapted to connect the actuator 2O with either the Wind-inducing devices or with the atmosphere to assure loud or soft tone effects, a reroll-stop such as a lcver 42, and devices including a rocking shaft 37 and connections therefrom to said rerollstop permitting collapse of the regulator 10 by operating said stop to close the port 12 by the regulator-valve 17 for silencing the soundproducing devices during rewinding of the music-sheet.

15. 1n amechanical musical instrument, the combination With wind-inducing devices and communicating sound-producing devices, and a music-sheet controlling the sound-producing devices, ot' a pneumatic regulator 10 having a valve at its movable wall, passages connecting the regulator with the sound-producing devices and with the wind-inducing devices, a reroll-stop, a cranked rod 37 adapted to collapse the regulator 10 and cause its valve to close the port 12, and connections from the reroll-stop to the cranked rod.

THOMAS DANQUARD.

Witnesses:

Jos. B. MENSING, ALvIN K. GOODWIN. 

